Can You Feel It?
by Lily Mapleberry
Summary: It's hard to train for Broadway when you're hopelessly distracted by one hot Kid Darkness...especially when the leader of the Samurai is after you for connections, and your friends don't trust you one bit. Kid Darkness / OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Guys! It's me, Lil. Now I know I'm still working on another story right now, but I just saw Step Up 3D, and I absolutely fell head over heels in LOVE with Kid Darkness. I just HAD to write this. He is so cute, and such an amazing dancer! Just for that, I'm naming him Daniel in this story, after the person who plays him - Daniel "Cloud" Campos. Props to you, man! **

**Anyway, I hope you guys like it! Please give me feedback!**

**Lil**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Step Up anything. ~sigh~**

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><p>New York is one big place. That's the first thing I noticed when I got out of the cab.<p>

And it made me sick to my stomach. Just a little bit.

I came to New York to get a Broadway internship at NYU, and seeing the mobs of people scurrying around the city like ants made me feel even smaller. Broadway has been my dream since I could talk. No joke, I was born humming a show tune. My Dad couldn't quite decipher which one it was, but he said it sounded like a mix between Tomorrow, On My Own, Memory, and You Can't Stop the Beat – all from Tony Award winning Musicals. If that isn't destiny, then I don't know what is.

No, I'm only joking. Although I do think I really WAS babbling something as a baby, I just don't know what.

Anyway, Broadway has been all I've ever wanted my entire life. Dad wanted it too. He had a passion for it, and I think I have that same passion because it's in my blood.

But Dad never had the opportunities I had. Mom and Alex left him when I was only 3 months old, and he had to take care of me ever since. Working two jobs in New York while trying to audition for Broadway, was virtually impossible. So Dad packed me up and we went back to his home town in sweet home Maryland. (I bet you thought I was going to say Alabama.)

For a while, we lived with my cousin Nora and Dad's Sister in Law. I loved Nora a lot, and we got along better than sisters. We even looked sort of alike. I had her wavy hair, but mine was so dark brown it almost looked black. My eyes were also more blue, rather than green. It sort of gave me this exotic cold look, but I liked it anyway.

When we first got there, things were a little tense between Nora and Auntie. Nora wanted to dance, and Auntie felt that the career would go nowhere.

Well, Nora won. She and her partner Tyler got signed to a huge company and went on tour shortly after graduation. At this point, Auntie had already accepted it. We were all so proud of her, especially me. Nora would be my role model forever. I would never be afraid to go after my dreams with her to help me out.

After that, Nora and Ty got married. I was a bridesmaid, and I met a girl my age: Camille. Camille was Tyler's foster sister, and she was AWESOME! She was pretty, funny, a good dancer, and we just clicked. Camille was going to be a life-long friend.

And then Dad died. I don't know what it was. Maybe stress, maybe depression, maybe both. I was just devastated that he didn't tell me about anything. It wore me down knowing that he was hurting inside, and didn't bother to tell me, that he would never win his Tony, and he would never see me win mine like he said I would.

And just like that, I had conviction to take my dreams and grab them by the tail. I would go and win a Tony, not only for me, but for Dad. Nora immediately supported me, and sent me off to MSA for musical theater. Thank goodness I had Camille to help me get through the first few weeks.

MSA was practically everything I ever wanted in a school. I had friends, Camille and Moose (who I thought, by the way, would be PERFECT together); I had a supportive family - Nora, Ty, Auntie, and I guess Camille counted too; and I took the class of my dreams- advanced musical theater. If you could pass that class, it meant you had potential. If you had potential, you moved on to the next step, either getting into Julliard or becoming a Broadway intern while learning at NYU.

Coincidentally, it looked like Moose and Camille were heading to NYU as well. I can't say that didn't affect my decision a little bit, but I really didn't want to go to Julliard anyway. Everyone was just too isolated from other liberal arts in there.

Anyway, as a trio, we decided we would face the real world together. The three musketeers, as always. Although, two out of three could dance and the other could sing. Well, let's just say we were a group of variety.

So that's why I was in New York now. Auntie sent me off, but she was on a business trip so she couldn't come all the way with me. And Nora and Ty told me they'd be visiting me and Camille a couple weeks into the school year. So it was just me, at least, until I found my friends on tour.

I got dropped off at the front of NYU, and since I still had about half an hour until the tour, I decided to take a walk around.

The campus was beautiful. The leaves were still green, surprising considering the season, and so many people were out and about. I paced along the sandy roads, quietly thinking about how I was getting a total fresh start here. Anything could happen in New York, good things and bad things.

And then I thought about Dad. I wondered if he was proud of the decisions I made. I mean, I sure wasn't. At least, not of all of them.

I have to come clean. I've smoked pot before. And while to some of you, this may not be a big deal, it could ruin me. I was going to become a Broadway star. How would that happen if they knew I took illegal substances at one point? I hate that moment of weakness I had which convinced me that doing a little weed would be okay. It was right after Dad had died, and I was a little vulnerable, okay?

But I swear I stopped after the first time. And it pains me to say it, but sometimes I still have a slight craving that will kick in when things get tough. It's hard to deal with alone, but nobody else should be forced to face my own stupid problems.

As I was saying, New York was a new start. I had to make sure I stayed with the right people. Hopefully no more "John"s, when a guy came up to you saying he had some medicinal incense you breathed in through a joint.

Soon enough, my legs had carried my body to a place I was not familiar with. I stupidly forgot to pack a map, so I was just sort of standing there. Lost.

Then I saw a group of people crowded around this little enclosed space next to an old picnic table. There seemed to be some sort of commotion, so I decided to check it out.

It looked like some sort of dance battle. Two figures danced in the middle of the crowd in an alternating cycle. Although personally, I was a suckish dancer, (other than a little clubbing now and then in secret) Camille, Moose, Nora, and Ty had told me enough to tell who was obviously better. The guy in the black was dominating the other one.

His moves were clean, quick, and at the same time, classy. Honestly, it was really hot, especially with the mystery factor of the black baseball cap covering his face. I stood there mesmerized. He looked so perfect as he danced in his black leather jacket. I realized that I was developing a serious stranger-crush on this guy, but I brushed it off. It wasn't like I'd see him again, although I wished I would. Either way, I stepped on my very tippy-toes to get a better view.

The boy the crowd had called "Kid Darkness" had just won his last battle. Oh geez. Even his _name_ was totally epic and dark. I was mentally swooning. I was mentally –

"I bet on the skinny kid!" called one of the spectators. I was snapped out of my thoughts and looked at the next sorry competitor. But it wasn't just any old guy. It was

"MOOSE!" I cried excitedly. I had finally found one of my friends. Thank god!

Everyone turned their heads toward me, and all I could do was stare back sheepishly. I immediately started making my way towards Moose, but at the very edge of the crowd, I tripped on someone's foot.

Oh great, I was going to smack my face on the ground and everyone would laugh at me. What a great new start. But it didn't happen as I expected. Before making impact, I felt two strong arms wrap around my stomach. The arms put me back upright and I turned around to thank whoever had helped me.

It was Kid Darkness. And he was looking right at me. Oh god, his face was even cuter than his dancing. Don't drool, don't drool, don't drool.

"Thank you," I managed to stammer out, albeit a little awkwardly.

Stiffly, he replied, "You're welcome." But he still flashed me the tiniest smirk at the end. I don't know why, but this annoyed me just a little.

I turned back to Moose and whispered, "What are you doing here? Where's Camille?"

"She went ahead to the tour," he whispered back. "I was just interested and now I'm being pulled into this dance battle! Help me!"

"Ugh!" I groaned. "No WAY! This is your problem. You fix it. I'm going to find Camille, and I'd better see you at dinner. Now hurry up and just get it over with!" I prepared to stomp away, when Moose grabbed my arm and gave me a pleading look.

"Fine," I grumbled. "I'll wait for you. Just go. I'm already late for orientation."

He gave me a huge smile and tried to hug me, but I just brushed him off. Instead, I walked towards Kid Darkness's back and called, "Hey, Kid Darkness!"

He turned slowly, with a puzzled expression on his face. I guess not a lot of people ever called him so intimately after only knowing him for about 5 minutes. I beckoned him closer with a wave of my hand. He paced ever so slowly towards me.

When he was close enough, I whispered in his ear, "Whip his ass for me. Please." I pull back smiling, and I could see that he had a smirk on too. I tapped his shoulder lightly and mouthed, "I owe you one," so no one could hear. He nodded and got ready to dance.

For the entire battle, I was more impressed by Kid Darkness than Moose. I know it's sort of against the "code" to support your friend's enemy, but what could I say? I thought he was better. Kid Darkness did a bunch of flips and spins, some on his hands, some on his feet. And his face didn't help my distraction either. I was completely captivated by his straight nose, mysterious eyes, and casual lopsided smirk. It should be illegal for someone to look that good. Ugh.

And then, suddenly there were balloons flying, and dust in the air. Everyone was running, and I wasn't really sure what was going on. Then I saw Moose and this adult man running away from the scene. They were already way too far away to follow, so instead I cursed Moose under my breath, and just tried not to look too guilty for when the police questioned me.

But I guess it wasn't necessary, because at that moment, Kid Darkness picked me up by the waist again and threw me over his shoulder. Why was he so tall…and strong? At first I tried to pound him on the back to make him let me go, but he wouldn't budge. So after a while, I just stopped trying.

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><p>"Who's the chick?"<p>

"…A friend," Kid Darkness replied indifferently. He had a really nice voice.

"Really?" the same guy asked, pointing his chin towards me. He was one of the goons collecting bet money at the courtyard in NYU. "What's her name then?"

"Annette Clark," I said loud and clear, still situated over Kid Darkness's shoulder. I honestly wished he would just put me down, but he wouldn't. "But you can just call me Annie. I don't care." Was that safe? I mean, I didn't really know if they were a good crowd or not to be sharing my name with.

"So.." I said a little awkwardly. "Where are you taking me and why are you doing it?"

Kid Darkness shifted me around on his shoulder a little. I told him he could put me down a while ago, but he was just too stubborn.

"The Samurai house," he answered in that perfect voice. I loved listening to it. Oh god, I was so creepy. "Why? One, because we just saved you from the cops so you're going to do what we say, and two, because Julien will probably want to know about your…relationship with that animal kid."

I rolled my eyes. "It's Moose. And have you ever thought about how I may have a COLLEGE to get to?"

"Of course," he said like it was obvious. He's just a tad arrogant. Hm. "We'll have you back by tomorrow. Well, at least the Pirates will."

I didn't say anything. He must have known what I was thinking, because he immediately followed up with, "They're another crew. That Moose boy will probably be with them."

I nodded silently. I bit my lip lightly. "You… you guys aren't going to _hurt_ me, are you?"

He finally stopped walking for a moment. Then he put me down. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. His arms did feel warm and sturdy, even if we were basically strangers.

He stared into my eyes. I noticed how beautifully brown they were.

Quietly, he murmured, "Never." The word lingered and sent tingles up my spine. He spoke with a conviction that usually was meant for a lover, and it felt flattering coming from him. I felt a blush creep up my neck. He sounded so serious, and all I could think about was how handsome he was. I never had any problems with guys before, but suddenly Kid Darkness comes along and I'm weak at the knees. Pathetic, really.

The goons keep looking back at the two of us with curious looks, but we didn't mind them. Eventually, they got impatient and just went on ahead, but Kid Darkness and I kept walking at our pace side by side.

"I don't think you lost, you know?" I said softly. He jerked his head up and his brow furrowed a little.

"Are you sure about that?" he said with a slight glint in his eye. "He is your friend, after all."

I shook my head. "I may not dance," I said, "but I know what's good when I see it. Besides, art is unprejudiced. Moose was just someone fresh, someone new, someone who had potential. He still has a little way to go, though. Although, I don't think he'll ever get as good. I loved watching you. It was really amazing." I smiled.

He just kept looking at me. Did I say something wrong?

He finally sighed, and gave me a weary smile. A real smile. I loved his smirk, but the smile was something completely different. It made him feel closer to me, and made him really cute.

Finally, we got to the Samurai house. It had a rougher look on the outside, considering it was in New York City, but the interior was absolutely gorgeous. There were plenty of windows, making it a very open environment. At the same time however, it had a classy darkness to it. The furniture was all sleek and jet black. Clearly, whoever designed it had a talent for interior design.

"It's beautiful," I whispered in awe.

Someone chuckled at that behind me. A young man with spiked blond hair and ice blue eyes flashed me a grin. He was handsome, although incomparable to Kid Darkness, but at the same time he looked manipulative, snake-ish, and not to be trusted. I unconsciously took a step back, leaning into Kid Darkness's body slightly. He put an encouraging hand on the small of my back, as if telling me there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Certainly no one has ever considered our place 'beautiful,'" the blond man laughed. "You must be…"

"Annette," I finished for him cautiously.

He nodded. "I'm Julien. You've met Kid already." This time it was my turn to nod.

"So," he said as he sat down on one of the couches. "I hear from the others that you are a friend of one of the Pirates." He gestured for the two of us to sit down across from him.

"Actually," I replied mildly, "that friend is going into engineering. I don't think he'll be joining a crew anytime soon…"

Julien thinks about it for a moment, then shakes his head. "No, the Pirate leader is manipulative. He'll get sucked in soon enough. Do you think there's anything you can tell us about them? Anything you know?"

I shook my head. Seriously, I doubted the Pirate leader was anything but hospitable.

And then my phone rang. My cell phone! I completely forgot about it.

I checked the Caller ID. It was Nora. I looked at Julien to make sure it was okay if I took the call, and he gave me a silent nod.

"Nora?" I said tentatively.

"Annie!" she cried. "Where have you been? Mom and Camille have been worried sick. She's all alone without you or Moose! How could you do that to her?"

"I'm sorry Nora, really!" I apologized quickly. "It's just that… I'm a little held up right now. I'll give Camille a call right away. Sorry to worry you guys!"

"It's fine, Annie," she said. "But don't be late for class tomorrow! You're going to have to work for that Tony! No slacking, you hear me?"

"Mhm," I said while nodding, even though I knew she couldn't possibly see what I was doing. "How's the tour? Are you and Tyler okay?" I asked.

"Oh we're fine!" she said perking up immediately. "Our last show was AMAZING! I got you and Camille two tickets each to our performance in New York, by the way, so bring a friend with you! Anyway, I have a date with Tyler tonight, so I have to go! Bye Annie! Love you, stay safe, and work hard!"

With that she hung up. I quickly texted Camille, telling her how sorry I was and how I was safe, but would probably be back late.

I looked back at Julien. "Sorry about that. Please continue."

For a second he just sat there with a blank look on his face. Then the realization dawned on him.

"Tyler…Nora…tour?" he murmured to himself. "You can't possibly mean THE Tyler Gage and Nora Clark, can you?"

I nod. "Nora is my cousin."

And then everything about Julien changed. He looked at me with a calculating glance, way more serious compared to the halfhearted looks he gave me before. And he sat up straight, trying to look confident and more attention-worthy. I looked at Kid Darkness, but he's still looking at me the same way as before. Although, he would sometimes throw Julien a few scathing looks. Not really sure why.

Julien felt my attention on Kid, and he quickly coughed again so I would look at him.

"How about we hit the Pirate club tonight?" he asked us both.

Kid just nodded, and I shrugged. "As long as I'm back in school by tomorrow," I finished lamely.

"Perfect," Julien cheered. "We can dance all night long," he drawled sensually. It made me uncomfortable.

I laughed sheepishly. "Um, thanks for the offer, but I don't dance. Well not like you guys anyway. Sure any girl can sort of club dance a little, but it's really not my thing…"

His eyes became half-lidded as he gave me a twisted smirk. It was nothing like Kid's.

"Don't worry," he purred scarily. "I'll show you the ropes."

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><p><strong>So what did you guys think? Good, bad? Please review! I want to HEAR from you guys! As for updates, it's a little hectic juggling stories with schoolwork and life. Basically what I mean is, it will be a little irregular (sorry!) but I will try my best to update when I can!<strong>

**Well, until next time!**

**Lil**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate the time and energy you put into them. Please keep 'em coming! **

**So here's Chapter 2. Hope you like!**

**Lil :)**

**P.S. I just found out that Tamara Levinson (Daniel Campos's girlfriend) is 35. Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against older girls dating younger guys. But am I the only one who's a liiiitle put off by the fact that she's 7 years older? Meh. Probably just jealousy, right? I thought so.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Step Up or any part of its franchise.**

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><p>"Annie, what do you think of the club so far? A little dingy compared to ours, in my opinion," sniffed Julien as he slid into one of the side booths.<p>

I flashed him a grin as Kid and I slid into the seats opposite him. "Oh, I don't know Julien. It's got that rough feel, you know? Like you'd better leave everything on the dance floor with no regrets. I like that."

Julien shrugged and just took another swig of his beer.

"I don't think he's ever thought about it that way," whispered Kid. "Actually, I'm pretty sure none of us have."

I smiled. "Well then, I guess I brought something new to the Samurai."

"You sure did," he said while staring into my eyes.

For a second, it didn't seem like he was only talking about what I had just said. But that was all it took for me to become captivated by Kid's eyes again. They were dark but beautiful. They stared into my own orbs with a genuine innocence that Julien's lacked.

But there were flickers of uncertainty and regret in there as well. Still, Kid's eyes didn't hold any secrets. They held stories. I couldn't help but hope that one day he would trust me enough to tell them.

I felt another blush rise up my neck as neither of our gazes wavered. Finally, I was forced to avert my eyes in embarrassment. When I looked again, I saw Kid glancing at me with his smirk on his face. I suppressed the urge to giggle. Instead I just pushed my face into my wrist and snuck a quick wink at him.

Julien looked over at the both of us, and his expression hardened.

"I'm going to go get some drinks," he said stiffly. "Annie? You want something from the bar?"

"I'm only 17," I replied.

Julien gave me a mischievous smirk. "So?"

I stiffened and looked down a little. They couldn't have known this, but after doing weed that one time, I could never feel the same about breaking the law. The guilt just ate me alive, and it felt like I was going to be eternally damned or something. It was that bad.

"Well?" Julien asked, his impatience tainting his voice.

I still didn't answer. I wasn't going to tell them that I had done weed, but I was afraid that if I told them about my pet peeve towards breaking the law they wouldn't want to hang out with me anymore. Even if I'd rather stay away from Julien, if Kid was part of the package I would bear with it. I wanted to get to know him, but what if he was a rebellious bad boy? What if he didn't want to associate with a goody two-shoes?

"I…" I looked over at Kid. His dark eyes bore into mine as if he was trying to figure me out.

I turned back to Julien who was still waiting expectantly. I took a deep breath and said quietly, "I'll just have something…small." It was okay if I didn't drink it right?

Kid touched my arm lightly, supportively. "You don't have to do this," he whispered.

The feeling of guilt was making me nauseous. I glanced at him in gratitude. "Thank you."

He gave me a light smile before Julien coughed, getting our attention. "Well, ok then," he nodded towards me. Then he gestured toward the bar and said, "Kid, come with me for a sec. I need to talk to you about something."

I scooted out of the way to let Kid out. He grinned at me before walking away with Julien.

I let out a sigh and decided to look for Moose. He had to be around here somewhere. Suddenly two girls surrounded me.

"You must be Kid's girlfriend," one squealed.

"Oh, I-"

"Silly me! I forgot to introduce myself." She lightly facepalmed and laughed. "I'm Carly. This is Shana," she pointed to the girl next to her. "We're Samurai too! Welcome!"

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Annie," I said nervously. Carly was _really_ perky, but nice. "But I think you guys are mistaken. I'm not Kid's girlfriend. I don't even know if we're friends."

Shana snorted. "Hello? You're the first girl he's _ever_ brought to the house. With all the girls who flock around him, I'm surprised he hasn't done it sooner. But seriously, it seems like a pretty big deal to him. There's _definitely_ something going on between you two."

I shook my head. "There _definitely_ isn't."

"But he went to buy you a drink!" Carly pouted.

"Actually, Julien's buying. Kid just went because Julien wanted to talk to him. Besides, I don't even drink."

Shana's eyes narrowed. "Julien's buying you the drink?"

I nodded. "What's the problem?"

"Whatever you do, don't drink it," she warned.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Look, Annie," she murmured so that Carly wouldn't hear. "Julien and I used to date. He was…cold, almost evil sometimes. He uses people and then throws them away, and I think that's what he's going to do to you too. Don't drink anything he gives you. I mean it."

"Ok," I said. It wasn't like I hadn't seen it coming. Julien definitely was someone to be careful around.

"Did she tell you?" Carly asked. I gave her a confused look. "Did she tell you that I'm totally crushing on Julien? He's _hot._ Annie, we may be friends, but friends don't steal their friends' guys. It's a rule. So NO flirting with him, 'kay? He's mine."

I gave her a tiny salute.

"But _Kid_ on the other hand," she gave me a suggestive look. "You should totally go for him. I can already see the chemistry." She winked.

I looked over at Shana exasperatedly, but she merely shrugged. "I can't say I disagree," she said.

Before I could deny that there was anything between me and Kid again, they quickly pointed out that he and Julien were heading back. They headed back into the crowd to dance while I walked back to the booth.

"Here," Julien handed me a drink. I held it up to my lips, but didn't swallow any.

"It tastes…good," I lied.

"That's good," he said slowly, as if waiting for a different reaction. "Well, I'm going to go dance now. If anything ever starts to bother you, just come get me."

What was with the sudden camaraderie? Did he know that I was going to get bummed out tonight or something?

I watched Julien's retreating form as he sauntered into the crowd. I sighed. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Staying guarded around Julien took a greater toll on me than I thought.

I noticed that Kid was still leaning on the table instead of on the dance floor. I gave him a small smile and pointed at the drink in his hand.

"What drink is that?" I asked.

"Probably something you've never heard of," he replied gruffly. Hm. Something was wrong. The atmosphere was tense.

"Are you allowed to be drinking that? How old are you anyway?" I asked again, trying to start a decent conversation.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He almost sneered.

I took a slight step back. Why was Kid acting like this? Just a few minutes ago we were so chummy around Julien, and now he was being hostile?

"I'm sorry if I offended you," I said after a short pause. "You don't have to tell me if it's too personal."

Kid's eyes flickered towards me. I saw a newfound indifference in them. But wait! There it was. For just a second, there was a flash of regret. It disappeared as soon as it appeared, but it was there all the same.

"Sorry," he muttered a little nicer than before, but still not quite as friendly as when we first met.

This wasn't going to go anywhere. At this point, I just wanted to find Moose and go home. And not even NYU home. I meant home home. Like _Maryland_ home, where there were no complex guys and Daddy was always there to give you a hug when you needed one. I sure needed one.

"Look Kid, you obviously don't want to tell me what's going on with you, so how about you just go and dance? It'll make you feel better, I bet."

"Are…are you sure?" he asked uncertainly.

Oh, so _now_ he was going to be the caring pal who looked out for his friends' wellbeing? I didn't think so.

"Yeah. Just go. I'll find Moose and head home."

He nodded. "See you around?"

I shook my head sadly. "I doubt it, Kid. I've got school, and I don't know where you'll be. But it was nice to meet you." I thought it would be fun to hang out with Kid every once in a while, have some fun. But it didn't look like that would happen, especially if he acted all aloof. And I had to work on that Tony anyway.

Kid opened his mouth to say something, but promptly closed it and nodded subtly to himself.

"Okay then…Bye," he said swiftly before propping his glass on the table and walking into the crowd.

And that was it. Friendship – no that wasn't it – acquaintance over. Just like that. I sighed. No use mulling over the past… what _might've_ been. I had to find Moose _now._ It was getting pretty late, and we had classes the next day. Besides, Camille was waiting.

I began walking aimlessly around the club, mostly avoiding the dance floor so as to avoid seeing Kid. Look at me, I was acting like a brokenhearted loser. I hated to admit it, but I already missed having Kid to glance over at, just to acknowledge the fact that I had someone in the strange dance world. So much for Miss Independent…

Eventually – I don't know how – I made it to the bathrooms. I was about to turn in the other direction, when someone rammed into me from behind, sending both of us toppling to the floor.

"What the – MOOSE?" I yelled while rubbing my elbow. It got skinned a little, and the tiniest drops of blood were oozing out. No reason to be alarmed.

"Annie! What are you doing here?" he said surprised.

"The Samurai brought me here to look for you! I…why were you running out of the bathroom?"

"Oh, right," he chuckled sheepishly before grabbing my arm and yanking me towards the crowded dance floor.

We slowly maneuvered through a compact throng of grinders (awkward) until we were well mixed into the crowd.

"Alright. Spill!" I shouted over the pulsing, hypnotic beats.

Moose nodded, and swallowed thickly. "They're after me! The Samurai are after me because I beat Kid Darkness! They want a rematch, but I don't want to fight them."

I held my tongue about the "Moose beating Kid Darkness" thing. Instead I asked, "Why be afraid? They seem to be nice people!"

He gave me a wide-eyed stare, like I had genuinely lost my mind.

"Are you kidding me, Annie? The Samurai…they're vicious! At least, from what Luke's told me, they are the baddest of the bad. And not in the good way. I would stay away from them. Honestly, I'm surprised they even brought you here."

My head was spinning. Sure, _Julien_ might have been bad, but that couldn't possibly mean _everybody _was. I mean, Shana, Carly, even Kid? I didn't think they were particularly malicious. How could Moose generalize like that?

"Moose," I said in my irritated mom voice. "You can't just group them all together like that. Maybe one or two use 'underhand' tactics, but not _all _of them do. Most of them are great people, and if I want to spend time with them, then I should be able to. I stay out of your dance business, you stay out of my social business. Deal?"

Moose looked at me reluctantly.

"Fine," he groaned. I nodded, but I soon became alarmed when I realized there were three figures headed right towards Moose, running full speed.

"Uh…Moose?" I said shakily. "Someone's coming for you."

I heard him curse, as he grabbed my hand again and pulled me through the crowd in attempt to shake our pursuers off. It was all fine and dandy, until Moose went and tripped over his own two feet. How could a dancer be so clumsy?

He was sprawled on the floor when the three figures made it to us. At this point, everyone had cleared a space in the middle of the floor. They were waiting for something. But what?

And then Moose was being picked up by two guys from the sidelines. I took a step towards them, but before I could reach their group, a hand hooked around my waist and pulled me close.

I looked behind me. Of course…it was _the_ Kid Darkness.

What was up with him? Why was he being so friendly, and then distant, and then friendly again? Didn't he know how confused this made me?

"Uh, hello?" I waved my hand in front of his face. His eyes flickered down to meet mine.

"Yeah," I said. "That guy over there, you should recognize him. His name is Moose, the boy you _told _me to find so I could go home. So please, do tell why you are not letting me get to him now."

He merely gripped me a little tighter as he looked back at the dance floor. My eyes followed his, as I finally began to understand.

_Ah…Dance battle._

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><p><strong>SORRY SORRY SORRY! I know this chapter is really short and not very satisfying, but I wanted to at least give you guys something for all of the story alerts, favorites, and reviews I've been getting. I'm not sure how other authors do it, but I'm planning to just sorta mention everyone who has been contributed in the very last chapter of the story. So don't unsubscribe or unfavorite until I'm done! :O Unless you want to be forgotten, which would make me sad. Anyway, I hope this sates your desires for a couple weeks, as I try to get my academic life back on track. Next chapter, I guess you'll see more of Julien's dark side, the reason behind Kid's mood swings (PMS?), the dance battle (which I will eventually put a link on my profile for), and whatever else I feel is worth mentioning. Again, I really appreciate all of the positive feedback, and I hope you guys stick with me for the course of this story!<strong>

**Til next time!**

**Lil**

**And please review? Pwetty pwease?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi you guys! Thanks again for reviewing, I really appreciate it! I'm going to keep it short, because I really have nothing to say and I sorta just want to write the chapter. ;) So, I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the Step Up franchise.**

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><p><em>Dance battle…<em>

Part of me was a feeling a little uneasy, while another part of me was intrigued. I wasn't a dancer of any sort. I really didn't belong in a throng of dancers. I mean, how could I properly appreciate it? But at the same time, I'd never seen so many people this excited since… I don't know, the Superbowl? And from the way people were cheering, dance battles must have been a sight to see.

Without any warning at all, it had started. Shana led two boys behind her. They flipped and leaped into the air while she did a sequence crouched on the floor, her long hair slicing through the air around her. It was cool, but nothing spectacular yet. The crowd wanted more.

Next up were two twins from the Pirate side. They broke out into an intricate and sharp routine. Each move was isolated and perfectly synchronized. I watched in awe, it's like they were the same person. They ended with a bow, and I cheered. But of course, the Samurai were skeptical of their opponents.

The onlookers screamed as the next Samurai stepped up. Well, flipped up was more like it. The first guy, who was wearing a cap and a black wife beater, did a sideways flip and began doing multiple back handsprings in a row, ending in a backflip. He finished it off with a one handed spin and struck a pose, as another Samurai leaped over him.

He did a backflip and landed in a half split, bouncing back up quickly. As he finished up, another Pirate member sprung into the fray. He did a back handspring, and continued into some flares.

After him came who I assumed to be one of the Samurai breakers. He did a series of spins on his hands, and air flares. As he came to the end of the spin on his handstand, one of the Pirates picked him up and flung him back to the sidelines.

I looked upon them in shock. I glanced at the rest of the Samurai to see if a fight would break out. They looked pissed, but clearly they were going to let their dancing do the battling, because they didn't stray from their positions.

My eyes didn't stray from the floor as the Pirate began to dance. He was stunning. He flipped around the floor, and ended in a complicated spin decorated with challenging coin drops. My mouth dropped in awe, and I looked excitedly over at Kid. I pulled on his arm and hopped a little, just to convey the amazement I was feeling. But Kid didn't really look the same way. His face was a little…grim.

When I realized that he clearly wasn't as happy as I was, I calmed down quickly. My mouth closed into a slight pout, and my grip on his sleeve loosened. I turned back to watch the Pirate dancer, and clapped halfheartedly for him. At that moment, Kid was being a total killjoy. Even if I wasn't dancer myself, I could tell what was good. Why couldn't he?

I cheered excitedly for the Pirate as he left the dance floor, and was surprised when I saw Kid standing on another Samurai's shoulders. I glanced back next to me to make sure I hadn't imagined it. How did he get there so fast?

I was engrossed as I watched him dance. His body was fluid, yet solid; gentle and strong at the same time. I found myself in the same feeling of awe that I felt the first time I saw him as I watched his body move across the floor. In the end, he propelled himself up in the air using only his back. Even though the last performance was amazing, I had to admit that Kid's was too.

And just like that, the battle was over. Nobody else stepped up to the plate, although that was understandable, considering who they would have to surpass. As the cheering died down, everyone began to dance again in a big clumpy mass of sweaty bodies.

When Kid got up from the floor, he caught my eye and smirked. I rolled my eyes, but gave him a smile and a little round of applause.

He looked satisfied as he began to walk back towards me. But before he could even take 5 steps, he was swarmed by a mob of girls.

"Kid, you were really amazing out there!" One girl squealed while clinging to his arm. Another girl grabbed his other arm, and nodded in agreement.

"Mhm, you are such a great dancer!" She said. "Mind teaching me sometime?"

A third girl brushed his shoulder seductively. "Are private lessons available?" she drawled.

For some reason, this made me angry. Kid wasn't something to be used like that. Those girls couldn't just grab him like that and then _share_ him like an object.

I expected Kid to shake them off, but instead he had an arrogant smile on his face. Ugh! I should have known that would only boost his ego. My previous plans to approach and rescue him from the mob disappeared in an instant. He could have all the attention he wanted. _I_ was going to talk to Shana and Carly.

I turned on my heel and walked over to where the two of them were chatting animatedly. I approached with a big smile on my face.

"Guys, that was awesome! Shana, you were sick out there!" I squealed.

"Thanks!" Shana smiled. "But, may I ask why you aren't talking to Kid right now? I mean, he was a lot better than me, and I thought we told you to snag him already! Kid's been single way too long."

"Really?" I asked incredulously. "Well, he doesn't look too alone over there. With all those girls draped over him, he must really be wallowing in loneliness."

Shana and Carly gave each other a knowing smile.

"Jealous, much?" Shana teased.

I gaped at them.

"Wha- JEALOUS? I- You! I'm not _jealous_. That's absolutely ridiculous. It's just annoying that I can see Kid's big head inflate from all the way over here."

"Uh huh, sure," Carly laughed. I scowled at her.

"I mean it you guys! I'm not jealous!"

"Jealous about what?" I spun around, surprised by the voice. It was Julien. How did he always sneak up on people like that? It was creepy and borderline stalkerish…

"Oh, erm, nothing," I covered up quickly. "What's that?" I changed the subject and pointed to the drink in his hand.

"Right," he said, moving things along. "This is especially for you. Virgin."

"W-what?" I choked out.

"Non-alcoholic," he replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, no I know. I just thought you were – no never mind," I said while blushing. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Well, I hope you enjoy it," he said. "I'll be over there if you need me."

If I needed him? Why would he assume that I would suddenly need him? My eyes trailed after him as he walked back to a conversation with some dancers.

"Okay, that's enough staring, thank you very much!" I turned back to an irritated Carly. She couldn't possibly think that I was actually into Julien could she?

"Annie, how could you do that? How could you accept a drink from him, when you _know_ that I like him! I thought we were friends!"

"Carly, relax. I don't like him. And as for the drink, what was I supposed to do? Throw it in his face?"

She huffed angrily.

"Fine," she said finally. "But to prove that you don't really like him, give me the drink."

"How does that prove anything?" I asked confusedly.

"Well, if you like him, then you'd treasure anything he gave you. As in the drink."

"Um, okay then," I said while handing her the drink. I looked at Shana, sending her a little warning message with my eyes. _Make sure she doesn't drink it._ She nodded inconspicuously as Carly gushed over Julien's gift.

We talked a little longer, but as soon as I saw Kid walking over to us, I stood up to leave. I really didn't want to deal with his pigheadedness at that moment.

"I'm going to…get some air," I lied weakly.

Shana and Carly saw Kid, and nodded slyly. Both grinning and winking at me as I left for the elevator.

When I finally got outside, I sat on the steps and sighed. Why was I always so tense around Julien? Why was I always confused around Kid?

"Are you okay, Annie?" I heard Kid ask. I turned around to glance at him, but quickly turned my gaze back to the empty street in front of me.

"I'm fine," I replied quietly.

"Why'd you leave when you saw me? Did I do something?" he asked uncertainly.

"No you didn't. So why don't you go back to all those girls you were talking to?"

"Ah, so were you jealous?" he asked playfully. I could tell he was smirking by the tone of his voice.

I whipped around with an annoyed look on my face.

"God, NO! I was not jealous, okay?" I said irritatedly. "I just find your ever-increasing ego annoying. And those girls, annoying! And everything is just so annoying and confusing and I don't know what to do and I need to get back to school and I missed orientation and I need my dad!" The words poured out of my mouth, and I could feel my eyes getting a little misty. But I was NOT going to cry.

Kid sat down next to me and patted me on the shoulder. I leaned into his touch, but jerked away rigidly as I realized that I was still mad.

"And YOU!" I whirled angrily. "What is up with you? You change feelings like a teenage girl! One minute you're nice, and then you're distant, and then you're friendly again! What's going on?"

He sighed before looking up at me with an unwavering glance.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. "It's just…" he trailed off.

I looked at him expectantly.

"It's just?" I asked.

"Julien said, that I shouldn't get too close to you," he muttered. "That he…wanted you…"

I shivered at the words. They sounded so Julien-ish, and hearing them come from Kid's mouth was unnerving.

"I'm not an object," I whispered shakily.

"I know!" Kid said quickly rushing to defend himself. "I was angry, actually. And I want you to know that I don't want to just stay away from you like that, but Julien is the boss. I don't have much outside of the crew, and I can't afford to lose it. I hope you understand that."

I nodded.

"I do, Kid," I said. "It's ok if you have to be distant from now on. I get it, so I'd better go now in case anyone catches us."

I got up to leave, but Kid grabbed me before I could.

"I think I confused you. I just said I didn't want to stay away from you," he said.

"But Julien –"

"I know what Julien said. He said not to get too close. Friendship isn't too close is it? We can be friends, right? I mean, only if you want to."

The entire time, Kid's voice was serious, like a man's. Only then could I hear the hopefulness. He couldn't be much older than me. He was still a kid too, hence the name.

I pretended to think for a moment before turning to him with a smile.

"I guess we'll have to be friends," I said lightly. "I mean, _someone_ has to keep that head of yours from getting any bigger."

His smile returned once again to his trademark smirk.

"Big head? I'll have you know that I am very proportional. All the girls back in the club seemed to think so anyway." I laughed and shook my head.

"Come on, let's go back inside. I need to find Moose anyway so I can get back to NYU. It's getting late."

He nodded before pulling out his cellphone.

"Before that, let's just exchange numbers. That's what friends do, right?" He smiled at me.

We quickly put our numbers in the other's phone and entered the club again.

The scene downstairs was frenzied. People were all whispering through the pounding music, and a huge group of people were surrounding something I couldn't quite make out.

As Kid and I moved closer, I realized that it was…Carly!

"Carly!" I yelled as I pushed through the crowd. I knelt next to her body and looked at Shana.

"What happened?" I asked anxiously. "She was fine just a minute ago!"

Shana looked grim and glanced darkly in Julien's direction, who was still talking with his friends, but whose eyes frequently darted over at us.

"She just took a sip from that drink when I wasn't looking," Shana said slowly. "She was fine for a while, and then she just fainted. Just like that."

"You think it was Julien." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"I _know_ it was," she spat. I looked over at Kid to see his reaction, but he wasn't looking at us. He was giving an icy glare to Julien across the room.

Maybe it really was him. I knew Julien could be manipulative, but drugging the drink? Was he really that bad? I looked at him again. He turned suddenly to face me and caught my eyes in a sinister looking stare. I felt chilled to the bone, as I thought about what might have happened if _I _had drank the drink Julien gave me. I needed to get out of here.

"Let's just get her home," I told Shana as I tore my gaze from Julien. "She should be fine in the morning." Shana nodded but, told me to go ahead to NYU with Moose.

"It's your first day tomorrow after all," she said. "Kid, help me with this."

Kid picked Carly up gently. I couldn't help but notice that he didn't fling her over his shoulder like he did with me, but that may just have been because she was drugged. Either way, I felt a little satisfaction inside.

"Go," Kid nudged me gently. "Find Moose, and get some sleep. Be careful on the way."

I gave him a soft smile.

"Thanks Kid," I said. "I'll see you around, okay? Text me, or call me. Or both."

"Will do," he nodded. I waved goodbye to him and Shana as I turned to find Moose and avoid Julien.

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><p>When I finally made it into bed at NYU, I couldn't even sleep. I turned to the other side of the room and looked at my sleeping roommate. I didn't know who she was, but I still longed to be her. Why couldn't I be that girl? The one who didn't miss orientation, the one who didn't get caught in this mess, the one that Julien didn't have some crazy obsession with. If it was even him after all. Innocent until proven guilty, right?<p>

I sighed. At least I had Broadway. At least I had Camille and Moose. At least I had Kid. I smiled at the thought of our newfound friendship, and I finally began to drift into a sweet sleep.

The last thing I remembered seeing behind my eyelids was Kid's gentle smiling face.

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><p><strong>And there it is! Chapter three. I know it took a long time. It's just hard to write sometimes, even though I appreciate all the reviews, subscribers, and favoriters. I've been lacking sleep lately. It's actually 1:07 am right now… So I'm going to sleep as soon as I update this. By the way, the link for the dance battle is now up on my profile, so go check it out to get a better picture! <strong>

**Again, I'm really grateful for the great response! And…I hope you guys liked it! Please review!**

**Lil**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys, I'm back! ~sigh~ It's really my fault for taking so long to update… Sorry about that. The AP is coming up, and I'm FREAKING OUT. Anyway, here goes nothing for chapter 4!**

**Btw, Kid's going to be a little OC in this chapter. I want him to be more… human? Approachable? Fill in the blanks as you will.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Step Up Franchise.**

"Annie!"

"Annie!"

"Annette Clark, you get your sorry ass awake right now, before I kick your door down! You're making us miss breakfast!"

I jolted awake and looked over at the clock. _Shoot!_ I overslept from staying up late last night. Even my roommate had already left, whoever she was.

"ANNIE!" I heard Camille scream one more time.

"I'm up, I'm up!" I called as I opened the door for her. She was not happy.

"Thanks for ditching yesterday," she grumbled. "I had so much fun sitting next to Nerdy Nellie for 3 hours."

I knelt down before her and bowed.

"I beg for forgiveness, Camille!" I pleaded. "I lost track of time, and technically it's Moose's fault, and I never meant to –"

"You know," Camille said, cutting me off. "I think it would be a lot easier to forgive you if you would hurry up so we could still make it to breakfast before our classes started."

I smiled at her. Typical Camille. Dressing at the speed of light, I was ready about 5 minutes later.

When we finally got to breakfast, almost everyone was finished. With our plates full of food, Camille led me to a table surrounded by a couple giggling girls.

"Hey, you guys!" she said excitedly. "Let me introduce you to my best friend, Annie Clark. She's in musical theater."

"Hi," I smiled.

Everyone returned my greeting, and scooted to make space for both of us.

"We're not sitting with Moose?" I whispered to Camille. She chuckled.

"I'm still a little pissed at him."

"Hey Annie," a girl next to me said. She was cute, blonde, and button-nosed. I immediately envied her innocent, doll-like features.

"I'm Elle, and I'm in musical theater too!"

"Nice to meet you," I said. "I sorta missed orientation yesterday…so do you mind showing me around?" I asked sheepishly.

She giggled. "Oh yeah absolutely. I heard about your ditching yesterday. That Moose sounds crazy. So? Did you meet any cute guys?" I guess Elle was a liiitle less innocent than I had imagined.

Camille laughed and poked both of us.

"I'm glad you two are bonding, but you guys probably want to get going. Class starts in 5."

"I'll tell you on the way," I told Elle. "See you tonight Camille!" I waved before following Elle to the classroom.

"So you met a cute guy, you don't know his real name, and he can dance like a pro. Are you insane?"

"What do you mean?"

"Annie," Elle sighed. "From what it sounds like, this guy is totally available and SUPER fine. And what have you got? Nothing to show for it!"

"Hey!" I defended myself. "I got his number!" She smirked at me.

"If I were you I would've gotten a lot more." _Oh Elle…_

"You're in my seat," I heard a voice come from behind me. I turned around to see a very, very pissed looking girl in front of me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, bewildered a little at her sudden appearance.

"I said," she leaned in close. "You're in my seat."

If she thought she was going to force me out of my chair, she was mistaken.

"I don't think this is your seat," I told her as I stared straight into her eyes. She was just a typical, arrogant prep. Of course she was in musical theater, she was a total diva.

"Get out of her seat!" Two nasally voices ordered. And the diva had to have her little posse back her up.

"Huh," I said unfazed. "I would have thought that you would be intelligent enough to at least find yourself a seat. Now you need minions to do that too?"

"Ugh," she frowned. "You know what? I don't even want to sit in a seat that you've sat in already. Girls, let's go."

She finally walked away.

"It was nice to meet you too!" I called after her. "Who was that?" I asked Elle irritatedly when she was out of sight.

"Rose Donohue," Elle muttered. "She thinks she's the queen of musical theater - says she's the next Idina Menzel. You know, for the Broadway internship we're helping out with Wicked! She thinks _she_ has a chance of getting Elphaba one day."

I snorted. It was just as I had expected. Rose was one of _those._ (**A/N: See what I did there? :D)**

"What?" Elle asked. "You know, she just might. She _is_ an insufferable beeyotch, but I must say, she's got some talent. And she's attractive. But so are you, so…do you have any talent? Think you can take her?"

"I hope so," I said evenly. After all, if I couldn't beat her, how would I ever get that Tony?

It was the first day of the internship. Our class filed in silently onto the stage. We stared in awe at the theater we faced. It was fantastic. I could practically feel the spotlights, hear the applause, and drink in the music of every song.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm happy to see so many promising young artists for our internship!" A short, plump woman walked out from behind the curtains holding a clipboard.

"I am Irene Garnett, the director of the internship. This year, as you probably all know, you will be working hands on in the production of Wicked, starring the talented Jackie Burns as Elphaba, and the wonderful Chandra Lee Schwartz as Glinda. You all will be able to get an inside look to the music, choreography, staging, and just the overall inner workings of a Broadway production. I hope everyone has fun and learns a lot, but I expect responsibility and serious attitudes from each and every one of you. We'll be splitting you up into a couple groups that will rotate every week. Considering that Wicked is a massive production, you all will be called Monday through Friday. That is all, now get going! Groups are posted over there." She pointed to a list of names.

"We're in the same group!" I squealed to Elle. But I frowned when I saw who else was with us. "Ugh, Rose is there too."

"Ok guys, we're heading to choreography." A guide pointed me in the right direction.

Nearby I saw Rose walking the opposite way saying way louder than necessary, "Guys, just follow me. I know EXACTLY where choreo is. My daddy used to bring me backstage all the time."

"Um, Rose?" I called out to her. She whipped her head around looking angry, as if I had stolen her spotlight or something. "Choreo's this way."

She stiffened. And right then, I saw what it meant to hate someone. I thought she was going to tear my guts out with her glare. In truth, it scared me a little.

I walked quickly to get away from her. But soon I heard the clickety clack of Rose's heels catching up to me. She shoved me aside and pushed herself in front so that she was leading the group.

I saw Elle roll her eyes and mutter something under her breath about stuck up brats.

When we got to the dance studio, the ensemble was in the middle of an intricate dance routine. It was beautiful, exciting, perfect. Who could have choreographed something that captured the spirit of the music so remarkably?

"Hi everyone!" A cheerful, middle aged man came greeted us. "I'm Dylan Miller, the head choreographer. It's nice to meet you all. For the intern part of things, we'd like to get you guys a little hands-on. You'll be learning some of the choreography with the ensemble, specially choreographed by my assistant Daniel. Right now, we're starting wi-"

"Daniel!" I heard Rose screech.

"Shut up," I groaned. The room went silent. Oh god, I had said that out loud hadn't I?

"What did you say?" Rose snarled. Elle stepped up next to me to provide some support.

"Annie?" I paused. That was a guy's voice. A familiar guy's voice. No way. Could it be…

"Kid?" I turned around. And right there, standing next to Dylan Miller was Kid Darkness, or should I say "Daniel."

And boy, did he look surprised.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused and slightly embarrassed.

"I'm interning here. What are _you _doing here?" I asked, bewildered.

"I…help out with the dance…with Dylan."

"Yeah I gathered that," I nodded. "But what about the Sam-" He reached out and covered my mouth with his hand, but at the same time he smothered my nose, a little too forcefully for my liking.

In the background I heard Rose screech things like, 'Daniel, how do you know her?' and 'Daniel, I haven't seen you in such a long time!' and 'How dare you call him a kid? Daniel is a _man_!' I really wanted to just punch her, but I couldn't considering how someone's hand was close to suffocating me. The lack of air really was getting uncomfortable.

"No one knows, except for Dylan," he whispered in my ear. I nodded slightly, but he still didn't let go. I needed to breathe, so I did the only logical thing (in my mind, of course) to do.

I licked him.

NOT in a sensual way or anything you might imagine (pervs), but just to make him feel as uncomfortable as not being able to breathe made me. And he didn't taste bad or anything, but before you jump to conclusions, he didn't taste particularly good either. He tasted like…nothing really.

Let me tell you, when he felt my tongue touch his skin, he let go _fast_.

I saw Mr. Miller inconspicuously start rehearsal up again and pull Rose away from the two of us. He gave Kid a look which I assumed to mean we had some time to sort the confusion out.

"So…mind telling me what's going on?"

"…Did you just lick me?"

"I did. Now tell me what's going on."

"Of all things to make me let go, you go and _lick me?_"

"Kid Darkness, Daniel, whoever you are, tell me what's going on _right now!_"

"Alright, alright," he sighed while brushing his hair back. The mussed look really suited him. I just wanted to run my fingers through… never mind.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Obviously, I would like to know why you are _here,_" I snapped.

"As I said before, I'm helping Dylan," he replied. Of course he was going to make this difficult... I sighed.

"Right. I got that part. But what about the Samurai? I always thought you were more of a street dancing kind of guy."

"I am," he said quickly. "This is just something…on the side."

"It looks pretty serious to me," I pressed. "It's Broadway. This is real stuff." I know I was prying. But I couldn't help it. Could a dark and mysterious street dancer who I was undeniably attracted to like theater just like I did? I just needed to find out.

"Look, I really don't have time to explain this to you. We're wasting rehearsal time. Let's just go back." He began to nudge me back to my group. They were still busily learning the combination, while Rose would occasionally (and unsubtly) glare at us.

I planted my feet on the ground. I wasn't moving until I got answers.

"Kid," I pleaded. "Yesterday you said you wanted to be friends! Isn't this a way to start? Let me get to know both sides of you!" Maybe the slightly whiny approach would work better. I know it worked sometimes when Nora had to get Ty to agree to something.

Kid glanced nervously at the dancing group. He seemed to debate for a moment whether to tell me or just push me back to rehearsal.

Finally, he whispered, "Fine. But we can't talk about this here, where everyone can listen. Let's go outside for a couple minutes." He mouthed to Dylan that he was stepping out with me, and Dylan nodded once. Kid grabbed my wrist and led me outside and into a costume closet.

"Nobody's using it right now," he said while pointing inside. "Get in, we'll talk in here."

"Ok, get talking," I said as soon as he had closed the door. He took a deep breath.

"It's just… Well, Dylan's always been like a brother to me in New York. He's helped me get through some…hard times. And he asked me to help him out with this…he's seen me dance before and thought I could add something to the production… And it's nice, you know? To be a part of something organized, and real, and _accepted_."

"The Samurai look pretty real to me," I said, a little confused.

"They are!" he defended himself. "But… so many people don't take us seriously. It's like we're all a bunch of thugs. Like we're not good enough, because we're on the street. This… doing this thing with Dylan…it's like proof that I know what I'm doing. And I _like _it. Weird, huh?"

And just like that, Kid became a little more human. I saw it. Dance wasn't just passion for him. He understood it. He felt it in his blood, in his bones, in everything he did. Dance wasn't just something he loved. It was something he was.

He didn't need to be with the Samurai. He didn't need to be on Broadway. If he was dancing, he was happy. But if that was true, then why was it such a taboo to mention the Samurai out loud?

"It's not weird at all. It's admirable, really. But why are the Samurai such a secret around here?" I asked. "You're so proud of them, why don't you let these people see who you really are?"

"I…" he paused, as if reluctant to speak. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "They would _hate _them here. These stage performers, I'm not trying to offend anyone here, but they despise street dancers. I've heard them talk about how crews aren't 'real.' To them, we're just scum that won't go anywhere. Annie, I have _friends_ here. What would they do if I ended up being the 'trash' they saw on the street?"

I didn't really have anything to say to that. This was his choice, his peers. Kid seemed to have a fine head on his shoulders, and he was a big boy. I was just an outsider anyway.

"Fine, I'll keep your little thing a secret," I gave in. "_But_. Tell me how you're friends with _Rose_," I spat out her name. "I'm serious, if you two get all buddy buddy, you're off my contact list. I cannot _stand _her."

He chuckled, albeit a little wearily.

"Dylan introduced me to her," he explained. "You know her dad was bribing him? Well, Dylan can't be bribed, but he was trying. After the first meeting, she just wouldn't stop clinging. I don't know how she does it…she always finds me." He shuddered dramatically.

I would have laughed, it weren't for my fury towards Rose. How dare she try to buy her way into Broadway? That just wasn't right. Not for show business, not for anything. I didn't know it was possible, but I began to dislike her even more. At this point, we were nearing hate.

"But you're not friends, are you?" I asked just to make sure.

"Well, you see…" he started. That couldn't be good.

"Rose's dad is really powerful, influence wise. And basically, if we don't _please_ her well enough, Dylan could be ruined. He says he's not giving Rose any favors, unless she's really that good. I don't want him to lose his job, though. So right now, it's _my _job to…please her."

I gave him a disgusted look.

"No, _NO!_ Not in _that_ way. Oh geez, you're making me sick now too. No, I just have to play along when she flirts and…stuff."

"Yeah, this conversation ends now. I don't think I can talk about this…" This was too much Rose drama that I just did not want to think about. Broadway really did have its fair share of underhandedness.

"Are you sure you want to go back?" he asked. "I mean, they've already learned about half of the combination. Do you think you can pick it up?"

"Er…I'm not much of a dancer, but I guess if I want to get into Broadway I've got to start somewhere right? Let's take a chance," I smiled.

And to my relief, he smiled back. Or rather, smirked. Uh oh…

**Ugh. That chapter was really weird. I promise it'll be better next time! My AP is on May 11****th****, so I'll try to update more regularly after that.**

**Please let me know if you guys liked it through a review! If you all really hate it, I'll take some suggestions into consideration. **

**AND Julien will be getting his happy ending, which means that he will get better. It might take a while, but it will happen. Maybe I'll put a poll up later for who he should end up with. Courtesy to Gleegirl101 (you anon, you) for tipping me towards the "give Julien happiness" side. I was feeling pretty on the fence over the entire thing. **

**THANKS FOR READING! (wow…long A/N)**

**Lil**


	5. Chapter 5

**PLEASE DON'T EAT ME. Hey guys! It's been a while! I'll have you know that I'm still alive. The AP was tough for me, considering all the trouble I've had going through the course, (I'm actually pretty stupid when it comes to history) but it's DONE! So are exams, and although I managed to fail my French Oral brutally, I still managed to get an A on my final grade. (Thank god for multiple choice.) So back to the story. I hope some of you are still reading this thing… :)**

**Lil**

* * *

><p>"No, no, no," Kid said exasperatedly. "Kick ball change, turn, fan. Got it?"<p>

"Sure I do," I said while breathing heavily. _Got it, my ass._

I tried it again before Kid grabbed my arm.

"Right leg crosses over the left, Annie," he said patiently.

I groaned. Why couldn't I get this? I curled up in a ball.

"I _hate_ dancing," I moaned into my knees. "You'd think that with some of Nora's genes in me I'd be a pro."

Kid grinned as he tried to pull me up, but my butt stayed anchored to the ground.

"Oh come on," he tried. "You'll get this in no time if you focus. You're still just embarrassed by the little performance you put on earlier today."

"Ugh, don't remind me," I huffed while putting my head in my hands. The memories were coming back…

_-Flashback—_

_Our little talk had eaten away about an hour. How, I'll never know. It didn't seem like our conversation could have been that long, but by the time Kid and I had gotten there, three fourths of the choreography had already been taught._

"_Just follow what you can. I've already told Dylan that I'll help you with it afterwards. And look, if you fall and they laugh, just get up and brush it off," Kid whispered into my ear._

_I nodded at him and smiled._

"_Thanks," I mouthed._

_From behind me I could hear Rose growl and I realized what his whispers must have looked like. I turned around and gave her a smirk. Mature, I know. But a girl has to get her kicks somehow, right? _

_Anyway, Dylan began to count off again. As everyone broke out into an intricate dance number, I stared cluelessly. Finally, my arms and legs began to move tentatively. Kid nodded in encouragement, and I smiled back. Things were going alright…until we got to the circle._

_There was a sudden change in formation, and I found myself caught in the middle of it all. I whipped my head around blindly, trying to figure out where to go. Of course, Rose had to go and stick her foot out in my confusion, tripping me in front of everyone._

_I fell on my hands and knees with a thud. The sound of Rose and her posse's chuckles immediately reached my ears, and I tensed. It felt like everyone's eyes were on me. In the crowd I sought out a friendly pair of eyes, but I was met with none. Every gaze I saw was hardened and judgmental._

_Even Elle quickly looked away when I pleaded with my eyes. But really, who could blame her? She wanted to make herself a somebody in the business. Where would she get if all she did was hang around with a clumsy nobody? I totally got it. _

_But it still hurt._

_Time seemed to stretch on infinitely before someone finally knelt beside me. I contemplated getting up before, and pretending nothing ever happened (like Kid told me), but I just couldn't bear to break the perfect silence in the room._

"_Hey, are you okay?" a voice whispered. "That looked like a pretty nasty fall on the knees."_

_Of course, it was Kid. Who else would it be? After all, I had no other friends in this place. None._

_Gosh, that's a little depressing._

"_Yeah," I nodded weakly. "I'm fine, just a little rusty in the 'walking in a circle' department."_

_A corner of Kid's lips twitched._

"_Happy to see that your sense of humor hasn't been harmed," he said lightly. "But how about you sit out for the rest of rehearsal, and I just teach you the stuff after? That way, we can avoid another fall."_

"_Sounds good," I replied. "For my ego, at least."_

_Kid chuckled as he pulled me up. It was a total friend moment._

_Of course Rose had to go and ruin it. And it wasn't even like a subtle cough or anything. It was more like she took the moment and shoved it through a paper shredder. Twice._

"_Maybe if she can't even walk properly, then she shouldn't be part of the cast. After all, Broadway needs capable people," her snooty voice drifted throughout the room. _

_Let's just say it was hard to ignore the faint chuckles that she elicited. At least Elle didn't laugh. She may have ignored me, but she didn't hate me. That was a plus…sort of._

"_I'm glad you have so much faith in me, Rose," I said sarcastically._

"_Excuse me, did I give you permission to say my name?" Drama Queen. Yikes._

"_No. But did your Daddy give you permission to get a nose job?" I shot back at her._

"_Ha!" she laughed, as if she had won that round. "Actually, my Daddy gave me his wholehearted support!"_

"_So…your Daddy thought you were in need of a nose job? Wow. He really loves you for who you are." I rolled my eyes._

"_Yeah, your right! More than your parents love you!" She smiled, as if she had me cornered._

_I feigned surprise._

"_Darn, you got me!" I said. But before I could say more, Dylan broke up the party._

"_Okay guys, this is getting off topic. Let's get back to business!"_

"_To defeat the Huns," I whispered to Kid. He rolled his eyes, but smiled. I wondered if he was amused or disgusted by my antics with Rose. He didn't seem to be upset._

_Dylan clapped to get everyone's attention._

"_From the top! Let's go!"_

-End Flashback—

Another attempt. Another correction. Another failure. Another sigh. Followed by another round of encouragement from Kid. Repeat.

That's the cycle I'd been going through for the past hour now.

"Let's try a different approach," Kid finally said. He sat down next to me.

"Go on," he said. "Talk out your problems."

I gave him a skeptical look.

"Talk out my problems? What is this, group therapy?"

He shook his head.

"Look, Annie. There's something in you that's holding you back, and I bet it has something to do with what happened today. So talk it out. Get it out of your system."

I sighed heavily.

"Okay. I'll try," I said. "I…Well first of all, it's Elle."

"Elle?" Kid asked. I forgot he didn't know who she was.

"Um, my friend from class," I explained. "Well…ex-friend, I guess. Seeing as she wants nothing to do with me anymore…"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just…she… I don't really know, actually. She just stopped talking to me. When I fell, she looked away, like she would rather be dead than be caught being seen as my friend. And you know, I sort of needed her. My friends consist of Camille, Moose, and now you. I don't really have anyone in the musical theater circle. Just enemies."

There was a moment of silence. I looked over at Kid, but he seemed to be deep in thought.

"Okay, tell you what," he finally said. "Tomorrow, after rehearsal, ask her out to get a bite to eat or something. Talk to her about it."

I let it sink in. That seemed reasonable. After all, she seemed pretty reluctant to laugh at me like everybody else. Maybe I still had a chance of salvaging our friendship.

"So what else is there?"

"_Rose_," I bristled at her name. "What is her problem with me? Did I accidentally spray 'Eau d'Anti-Rose' on today or something?"

Kid gave me a lopsided grin.

"That's just how she is, Annie. I get that you two don't really mesh. Just don't worry about it."

"But how can I not?" I complained. "Anyone can do this combination. I just messed up the first time, is all!" In a fit of anger, I demonstrated everything Kid had just gone over with me. When I finished, I sat down with an angry huff.

"See?" I gave Kid a pointed look. He looked surprised.

"What?" I asked.

"You just did the entire combination…perfectly," he said, eyes wide. "Tell me…if you could do that, why have you been struggling with this for the past hour?"

"I…" I trailed off. I really had no idea. "I guess thinking about Rose and her overall annoyingness gives me a sort of adrenaline rush…? Like, I focus on how much I want to show her who's boss, and then I do it."

He smiled at my breakthrough.

"Then harness your inner 'I Hate Rose' and let's do this thing."

The rest of our supplementary rehearsal session went smoothly. I had the combination down pat, and I felt pretty darn good about it.

As we were about to leave the theater, Kid struck up a conversation.

"You know, Carly and Shana miss you. You should come over again sometime," he murmured.

I smiled at him.

"Thanks, but I think I'd rather put some distance between me and Julien right now. Is it just me, or does he seem to have something against me?"

"Not against you," he muttered. "For you…"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Okay…Whatever you say, Kid."

"Hey, it's already 7 'o clock…" he started.

"How time flies?" I said with a smile.

"That's for sure. But do you want to grab a bite to eat or something?"

"Err…I don't know Kid," I said reluctantly. I _did _want to hang out with Kid some more. He was fun to be around, and a great friend. "I want to, but as you said, it's late. And I don't really know where I'm going, so I would like to get back before it gets to dark. Maybe next time?" I asked hopefully. I didn't want him to withdraw the offer forever.

"I can walk you back," he said quickly. "I know where to go. Just tell me which dorm you're in, and I can take you there. So what do you say?"

I mulled over it. Walk home now and try to get along with my roommate, or fill my empty stomach and have some fun with the charming Kid Darkness? Hmm… now _that's _ a hard decision.

"Okay," I said finally. "Let's go! You lead the way."

It looked like his face brightened up a little. Strange. Meh, it was probably the light.

Things were looking good, until we walked out the door.

"Daniel!" I heard someone screech. Oh what a surprise, it was Rose. She launched herself into his arms.

"Oh…hey Rose," Daniel mumbled a little awkwardly. He looked slightly uncomfortable with the girl in his arms. "Uh..What are you doing here? Why didn't you go home with everyone else?"

"Oh Daniel," she cooed. I mentally gagged. "How could I possibly leave you all alone? Walk me back, will you?"

"Actually Rose," Kid began, "Annie and I were just –"

"Leaving," I cut in. "Yeah, we were just heading back too. _Daniel_ would love to walk you home."

He gave me a strange look, as if to say _'What are you doing?'_

I shrugged. I just wasn't feeling up to hanging out with Kid after seeing Rose practically salivate at the sight of him.

'_Tomorrow?'_ I mouthed to him. He nodded with a slight smile.

"What are you smiling about, dearest?" Rose asked while fluttering her eyes.

"Nothing," Kid choked out as I tried to muffle my giggles. She really got more outrageous every minute.

The three of us walked along in silence. I began to trail farther and farther away from the couple. Every so often, Kid would glance back at me and I would send him a reassuring wave. Sometimes he would even throw in a "Help Me" face. I bit back a smile every time.

Eventually, Rose decided to break the silence with her viciousness.

"Why are you following us, creep?" She snarled. I rolled my eyes.

"In case you haven't noticed, I go to your school," I explained. How could she forget in just a couple hours?

"Whatever," she said airily, with a flip of her hair. "Just stay back, and try not to ruin my romantic walk with Daniel."

"Okay…" I muttered under my breath.

By the time we got back to the park, I began to recognize my surroundings. I could make out my dorm building from where I was, so I began to push forward.

"Hello?" Rose snapped. "I thought I told you to stay _back_."

"Sorry, Princess," I drawled. "Let me just get to my dorm," I pointed to the building, "and I'll be out of your hair."

Rose made a noise of disgust. An unflattering one, if I do say so myself.

"You mean you're in the same building as me?" she spat. "Daniel," she whined. "Doesn't that sound horrible? Talent like mine will spoil when put too close to _average people_."

"As if you're not spoiled enough already," I scoffed. I just seemed to notice that I had a healthy dose of attitude all day. I didn't mean to be so rude, but Rose really brought out the worst in me.

Rose decided to ignore my last comment (thank god!), and asked Kid to walk her to her room. ("Take me to my room now, dearest!") I was surprised she didn't ask him to carry her up the stairs. He definitely would have been able to, considering how rock hard his arms were…

Uh…I did not just think that… abort, abort, ABORT!

Silly thoughts aside, I began to walk towards my door as I pulled out my key, thankful that I would be able to rid myself of Rose's presence soon enough. I was about to turn my knob, before I heard another complaint.

"Where do you think you're going?" Rose demanded.

"My Room. To get away from YOU," I emphasized. She laughed.

"You must be mistaken," she said. "That's _my_ room. 412."

"Huh," I mused. I was not happy that Rose was my roommate, but at least I would now have an excuse to stay out of my room as much as possible and explore my surroundings. That was me, thinking positively, as always.

"What a coincidence. I'm in 412 too." I showed her my room key with the number clearly printed on the keychain. "Well, roomie, you better say bye to your 'boyfriend' now. I'll be locking the chain soon." I winked at Kid, and he smiled.

Rose growled.

"I'll be talking to the Dean about this!" she wailed. She tried to give Kid a smooch, but he pried her arms off before she got the chance. I'd be lying if I said this didn't make me feel a little better.

"Goodnight Daniel," Rose said at the door, sultrily. I shuddered. Was she trying to give him (and me) nightmares?

"G'night Kid!" I said brightly before waving.

"Night," he replied with a warm grin. I was liking the smiles I was getting. The ratio of smiles to smirks seemed to increase, which was a plus for me. Our friendship was becoming more genuine. I couldn't help the fuzzy feeling that pervaded my body. I gave Kid a final wave before closing the door behind me. True to my word, I quickly locked both the regular lock as well as the chain lock before facing Rose.

"Look," Rose snapped. "Listen to me. This is _my_ room, so you better follow my rules, got it? I get first call on _everything_, no questions asked. If you touch a single thing I own, I _will _ruin you. Remember that."

I couldn't believe her nerve! How dare she talk to me like I was dirt, and she was a queen. Rose and I definitely did not have friendship in our near future.

"No, you listen to _me_," I said angrily. "This is _our_ room. So as long as you stay on _your _side, we will have no problems. We _will _alternate on who gets the bathroom first every day, no questions asked. Remember that."

I tried to get my eyes to smolder like how Tyler always showed me during our "intimidation training." He decided that I would need to learn how to at least fake some backbone during inevitable confrontation.

I silently gave him my thanks as I saw Rose shrink back a centimeter.

By the time both of us had gotten into bed, I was exhausted. The day had been one surprise after another. First, Kid shows up at rehearsal under the name "_Daniel_," then I totally embarrass myself in front of everyone, and the awful queen bee turns out to be my roommate? This is going to be a long year…

Before I sleep, I remember everything I have to do tomorrow. At the top of my list is a conversation with Elle. I prayed that Kid's advice would work. Speaking of Kid, I still didn't know what the plan was for tomorrow.

I quickly sent him a text as I slid under the covers. Rose's obnoxious snores were starting to get to me, and I just couldn't take her seriously while she wore that pink fluffy sleep mask.

_Hey Kid,_

_What's the plan for tomorrow? You know, my roommate's snores rival a lawnmower._

_-Annie_

I was about to throw my pillow at Rose's face when I got a reply.

_Hey Annie,_

_How about dinner? I have the feeling you'll be talking to Elle during lunch. As for the sleeping issue, I suggest listening to some calming music. I'll see you tomorrow. Sweet dreams, dearest. :P_

_-Daniel_

I couldn't help but wonder if he signed his name Daniel because he preferred to be called that or if he just trusted me. While pondering this, I pulled out my ipod, my savior, and quickly created a Sleep playlist. I had the feeling I'd need it for a while.

Kid, I mean Daniel, really was so considerate to think of my problems with Elle. I owed him, big time, especially after cancelling today.

And what was with the dearest? Of course, it was an inside joke, but it was hard to ignore the fact that when Rose said it, it sounded disgusting. While when he said it, it flooded my body with glowing warmth again.

Even as I was on the brink of sleep, my mind attempted to continuously convince my inner romantic that "dearest" meant nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I slept restlessly that night.

* * *

><p><strong>So…did you guys miss me at all? I'm glad to see that you all are still reading this story! It really does make a difference. I just had a severe block, and wasn't sure where to take the story anymore. I've decided…to just go with the flow, if that's okay with you guys. I think I'm going to let the characters live (with a little guidance from me of course) and hopefully, I can eventually get back to the main story. These chapters are mainly to establish a base with Kid and Annie. Julien, the suspicion, and the actual Step Up 3 storyline (well, part of it) will eventually make their way back into the storyline again, so don't worry! I couldn't bear to write a fanfiction without them anyway. So I hope you guys liked it. <strong>

**PLEASE GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK! :D I'd really appreciate it. So, I'll see you guys next chapter. I will DEFINITELY update sooner. Time Management and I are starting a relationship, and it looks pretty serious right now. I'll keep you all posted. :) **

**Lil**


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